ole of the fourth and fifth bays, and nearly all the sixth,
has been cut away flush with the riser, as if some large pieces of
furniture had been placed there (_ibid._ nos. 5, 5, 5, 5). These were
evidently bookcases." Eastward of these indications of bookcases "the
bases of the vaulting-shafts are cut in a way which seems to shew that
there was a double screen there (_ibid._ nos. 6, 6), or perhaps there were
bookcases arranged so as to form a screen, which is, I think, very likely.
Beyond this screen to the right are appearances in the wall [next the
cloister-garth] which seem to indicate a blocked-up locker, but they are
rather doubtful. And on the left is a large double locker blocked (_ibid._
7), and the blocking appears to be ancient. This locker is of the date of
the wall (Edw. I.), and may have been an additional book-closet provided,
because that on the other side of the church-door [to be described
presently] had become too small, and [was] blocked up when the larger
bookcases were made opposite the carrells[191]."

Lastly, at the risk of some repetition, I will quote a passage from a
letter which Mr Micklethwaite was so good as to write to me on this
subject, as it brings out some additional points, and states the whole
question with great clearness. After describing the position of the
bookcases, he proceeds:

There was thus a space, the width of the bench, between
the back of the case and the cloister-wall, which would
help to keep things dry. Whether the floor was boarded
we cannot now tell, but there is evidence that this part
of the cloister was cut off from the rest by screens of
some sort at both ends, which would make it a long
gallery lighted on one side, and with bookcases ranged
along the other, not unlike Wren's at Lincoln. The
windows must have been glazed; indeed remains of the
glazing existed to the end of the 17th century; and
there were within my memory marks of fittings along the
windows-side which I did not then understand, but which,
if they still existed, would I have no doubt tell us
something of the _carrells_. A "thorough restoration"
has taken away every trace of them.

The "bookcase on the other side of the church door" mentioned above was in
the northernmost bay of the east cloister. Mr Micklethwaite says of it:

"Entering the cloister from the church by the east cloister door (_ibid._
no. 8), we find on our left hand a